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Investigation to continue

According to this account, the CDF doesn't believe that the previous internal investigation by the Legion was adequate in discovering the truth, so they have asked Archbishop Ezzati to continue the task. Spanish speakers can translate bits, or help us to grasp the details.

The lack of credibility in the public view is certainly a major factor, but not knowing the Chilean justice system, it is hard to say what this is all about.

In the US, after the priest is suspended pending the final ecclesial investigation, his ecclesial case begins only after the criminal court case is over. In this case however the Holy See wants it to coincide with it. Does it mistrust the system there?

Another point: it is rare for the Holy See to intervene in this way for fear of being presumed to be the local manager and cleanup crew of all diocesan scandals. Normally the local ordinary is the point man for this. Ezzati could have carried out his own judgment , stripped the LC of his faculties for his diocese without the Holy See- BUT he could never have sought his laicization or impose any universal sanction. The LC would have to be the ones to seek that penalty before the CDF. Clearly there is no trust there at all. What an affront to DePaolis on the part of Ezzati and his allies in curia!

Let us be clear: this is about allegations against former Legion #1 man in Chile, Irishman Fr. John O'Reilly, one the first groups of Irish to join the Legion back in the 1960s in Dublin. From being Fr. Maciel's waiter he progressed through the ranks to being the Legion #1 in Chile winning over many rich families to the cause of "Orthodox" Catholicity. What is notable in this case is that on hearing of the allegations the Legion immediately ceased Fr. O'Reilly from his post as director of the City of Santiago Instituto Cumbres and kind of "fed him to the beasts" of the local press. It appears that the Legion dropped Fr. John like a hot potato; the legal proceedings have been on going for a year and meanwhile Fr. is in moral and psychological Limbo. I suggest we pray that this matter get cleared up quickly and Fr. be found guilty or exonerated.

Amen to your comment. I knew Fr. O'Reilly pretty well. From a summary reading of local Chilean press reports and the first hand witness of a friend of mine from Chile I think that, at the moment, the facts of the case are not at all clear. Let us pray that justice be done. If he is guilty so be it. Meanwhile, it's not helpful to rush to judgement in this particular case.

HIDL Without more inside info, all I can see here is either: a) The chemistry between the press and the justice system has Ezzati very concerned that its outcome would not be a fair or a just one, and he needed more leverage to get the Church's judgment front and center or b)That the LC as an institution was deemed totally incompetent in the case, hence he needed a way to take it out of their hands entirely. The latter seems more likely and it speaks poorly of the DePaolis' reform.

I think the LCs will be in rope-a-dope mode during Francis's and Ezzati's tenure who seem to have their number. The less noticeable they are, and dumb to what its members do, all the better.

I am sure Ezzati will ensure Fr. O'reilly will get an honest and fair judgment.

I've been trying to put myself in the mind of a pedophile priest to understand their illness. Surely, the rigid rules and buddying or backstabbing system that exists within the Legionary community may lead to an elder desiring human touch behind closed doors (during spiritual direction). They never suspect that a child would reveal information to their own parents. They assume that an innocent child will believe everything that the glorious and holy priest tells them. That's when they begin the formation process and test the child to see just how obedient he is. They don't care for the ones who question authority or know right from wrong.

The first step is sweeping the parents (getting their buy-in) by providing them with a lot of attention. Surely, they'll take the mothers who are willing to do hard labor for them even though all they really want are the boys (they still need mommies and the prettier, the better). And of course, they need your money. They need to keep a constant flow of income and can't wait until their members become old and die so they can reap in the real benefits. It's a masterful, money-making machine. So the question becomes, do we want this system to continue? Is this serving the church?

Does it matter if they really don't care about the person? That is the sad truth about this order. It will be interesting to see what Pope Francis does.